Editor's Corner

Good morning, curious readers. Recently, I read one of my daily emails from Dictionary.com—it covered a pair of often confused words that are very relevant today: misinformation and disinformation.

Let’s start with a definition of and some background about the word misinformation. The first recorded use of this word was in the 1500s. The prefix mis-, means wrong or mistaken. With that in mind, we can deduce that misinformation simply means information that is mistaken or incorrect (I think we knew that). For example, maybe you saw on social media that one of your favorite actors died and you spread the word to your friends and family, and then you found out it isn’t true; the actor is alive and well. You’ve just misinformed all those people. Oops. You didn’t mean any harm; it was all a big mistake. Misinformation is false information, but it is shared with no intention to mislead or misrepresent.

And that leads us right into disinformation. The first recorded use of this word was sometime between 1965 and 1970. According to Dictionary.com “It’s a translation of the Russian word dezinformátsiya, in turn based on the French désinfomer (to misinform).” The prefix dis- is used to indicate a reversal or negative instance of the word that follows the prefix. The examples provided by Dictionary.com are disrespect and disobedience.

Disinformation is misinformation that is knowingly spread. It is intended to mislead or misrepresent. For example, maybe you are interested in buying a house, so you attend the open house and it seems to be everything you are looking for in a home. You begin talking to someone at the open house who informs you that the house has had a history of plumbing and electrical issues, so you decide to take some time to do more research. After a few days, you find out there is nothing to worry about, but in the meantime, the person who disinformed you has put in a bid and the bid has been accepted. In this case, you were disinformed.

According to the article, “…disinformation is very powerful, destructive, and divisive, and is a common tool of espionage. Countries often have an interest in intentionally spreading fake information to their rival nations, as the Soviet Union and United States did during the Cold War, for instance. When a country or group coordinates a complicated plan of spreading disinformation, it is often referred to as a disinformation campaign.”

What can you do to avoid being misinformed or disinformed? Be sure that the information you are ingesting or sharing is vetted—not just someone’s opinion. Improve your media literacy (the ability to critically analyze for accuracy, credibility, or evidence of bias the content created and consumed in various media, including radio and television, the internet, and social media).

There is a glut of information available to us. It’s more important than ever to make sure the information we receive is unbiased and accurate. Go forth and find the facts.

Donna Bradley Burcher |Technical Editor, Advisory | jack henry™

Pronouns she/her/hers

9660 Granite Ridge Drive, San Diego CA 92123

Symitar Documentation Services

About Editor’s Corner

Editor’s Corner keeps your communication skills sharp by providing information on grammar, punctuation, JHA style, and all things English. As editors, we spend our days reading, researching, and revising other people’s writing. We love to spend a few extra minutes to share what we learn with you and keep it fun while we’re doing it.

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Hail to the haiku writers! Today’s submissions are from those who sent in one, two, and three haiku. I hope you enjoy them! The first one is a personal favorite!

Michelle Cornell

Editor’s Corner

What would we do without it?

English still be bad

Debbie Seufert

The grass is now green

Cows are grazing happily

Baby calves bouncing

Cousin visiting

Brought a bottle of whiskey

What is my own name?

Donna Bradley Burcher

Yes, of course I did

I won’t say no to chocolate

Even your last piece

I was first to wake

You were left to dream some more

Just make the bed, dude

Mayme O’Neill

Summer, please come soon.

Bring bright mornings and warm nights.

Bring crickets and calm.

Woke up too early

compensated with caffeine.

Now I cannot sleep.

I’m in Pacific.

You’re in Central or Eastern.

Siri, what time is…?

Stephanie Hrnack

Southwest Airlines Federal Credit Union

Texas in Spring

Sunshine and blue skies,

Twisters, thunder, rain, and hail

The weather’s fickle!

Teams Meeting Séance

Someone tries to speak.

Olivia, are you there?

We cannot hear you.

Jane Sampsel

Frustration

Baby is asleep.

Mom is able to sleep, too.

Oh no! Doorbell rings!

Laundry

Dirty laundry cleaned.

A sense of accomplishment!

Ugh! Pile is growing.

Aging

Crinkles near my eyes

Laugh lines surrounding my mouth

Signs of life well-lived

Vicki Decker

new at Jack Henry

the phenomenal culture

makes all days good ones

it is Easter time

chocolate eggs and jelly beans

add to my waistline

Jeff Brady

Wordle

Once more I prevail

The evil word is vanquished

Victory is sweet

Sheila Walter

Oh Spring, please come soon.

Sun, fun, splashing and smiles.

Snow, stay away now!

Billie Jean Montle

A light in my dream

She came to me to assure

Joy and Happiness

Patty Moore

One Company

My dear jack henry

No longer separate groups

We have become one

Paul Davis

Teams meet sneeze starting

Reaching up to mute my mic

Enable camera oops

Jack Ford

Haiku time again

I know I can kill this stuff

well darn, thought I could

David Pullara

Nantucket Haiku

Is very naughty, it’s true

Five bucks gets you two

Angel Wilborn

Am I sick she asks

cough wheeze sneeze Ahchoo Oh No

To bed I must go

Tyler Bible

A PowerShell Haiku

DollarVar Equal

Help my PowerShell Haiku

Write-Host DollarVar

Richard Sunbury

Here is one from ChatGPT:

Artificial brain

Endless calculations made

Forgot where it parked

Kearn Lacey and AI

AI writes haiku,

Poetry from a machine,

Beauty in code form.

Candice Washington

Amazon, my pal.

From A to Z, you and me.

Our friendship is Prime!

3’oclock pick-up.

I’m in a meeting right now.

She’ll have to walk home.

70 degrees!

A warm, Michigan Spring day.

Soon, there will be snow.

Joan Parish

Reading the paper

Gives me a panic attack

Skip to the comics!

Babe smiling so sweet

I smile in loving exchange

As she passes gas

Jennifer Prier

Rain is falling down.

Flowers are trying to bloom.

Begging for sunshine.

Bikinis are small.

Getting into shape is hard.

Screw it! Eat the cake!

The lake is calling.

Friends, drinks, and fun on the waves.

Jump in and get wet!

Peggy Esch

Slow moon in the East

Spent the night hopping over

My short house – now West!

Kara Church | Technical Editor, Advisory | Technical Publications

Pronouns: she/her | Call via Teams | jackhenry.com

Editor’s Corner Archives: https://episystechpubs.com/

Good morning, all! When I added the names of these submitters to my random prize wheel, I added each name once for every haiku. I was shocked when one winner had only one submission!

Today I have all the folks who submitted more than three haiku.

Jolie Lucas

Vacation is over.

I am tired, broke and sore. Still . . .

Re-entry is hard.

San Francisco fog.

Cable cars, Irish coffees.

My heart is still there.

Conference is done.

Brain is swimming with ideas.

Implement? We’ll see!

Politicians beg.

“Deadline looming, please send check!”

I am over taxed.

Seasons 1,2,4.

What happened in season 3?

DVR frustrates.

Petals on the ground.

Garden in abundant blooms.

While I was away.

Did you miss me, Pup?

So glad you want to go home.

We are still a pack.

Puppy, puppy, ow!

Please do not bite my fingers!

Where are the Band-Aids?

Michael Timmerman

The haiku police

Counting all the syllables

And stealing my soul

Oooh!! Punctuation!!

This is going to be fun!

Editor’s Corner.

Marked my new white socks

That will stop my lovely wife

From wearing them. Not.

[KC -Sandy Bottom Lake is a reference to many a haiku I received from Michael during the last contest.]

Four in already

Nary a reference to

Sandy Bottom Lake.

Sandy Bottom Lake

Late fishing is not allowed

Heron, please return!

Ah, simplicity

Life, and death, and life again

Sandy Bottom Lake

[KC – And Michael had Ron Fauset have a multi-year tradition of insulting each other.]

Five seven five

It’s not rocket science

Count again, Ron.

Please don’t let Fauset

Change just a couple of words

And claim mine as his.

Horrible noises

Steal my beautiful dreams

Dog is throwing up.

Mary Fleenor

Oysters create pearls

In an irritating way

Beauty from the pain

Sour as they can be

Pickles make me pucker hard

Then go back for more

Workday has ended

I happy-dance like Snoopy!

Wait, tomorrow, too?

Monday chit-chatting

Glad we are back to working

Said an alien

Waiting for a refund

So tired of the runaround

Maybe I’ll keep it

Spring air brings delights

Of daffodils and tulips

My heart rejoices

Of pollen I’m weary.

I breathes, therefore I sneezes.

Nasonex, save me!

Still water runs deep.

A moth on the surface rests.

Snap goes the trout. Lunch!

Scarlet, white, and black,

Pileated woodpecker

Wears a tuxedo.

Breathe in the morning

Birds wake and sing in the dawn

One more fine spring day

Sun warms my bare head

Working long in the garden

Where is my damn hat?

Jim Garman

Go learn PowerOn.

Reports to FM Perform,

It can do it all!

Need to get Data?

SymXchange can handle that.

Marc Poskey’s your guy!

Need to make a form?

Give PowerFrame Docs a try.

Start learning today!

I cannot recall.

I know your face, not your name

I’ll just call you "dude."

I see you there cat.

I just got up for a drink.

Get out of my seat!

Haiku just isn’t my schtick.

To 5-7-5 I can’t stick.

I like rhyming and guile

and my more verbose style

is much better suited to Limerick.

Rich Dunklee

Raindrops on green blades,

Lawnmowers now put to rest,

Sound of rain abounds.

Taco Tuesday’s here,

Crunchy shells and spicy fill,

Fiery fiesta.

Sleeping senior dog,

Office companion so wise,

Contented snoring.

Soft blooms fill the air,

Nature’s confetti dances,

Allergies awake.

Buzzing lawnmowers,

Summer’s symphony in green,

Nature’s haircut time.

Taco Tuesday’s here,

Crunchy shells and spicy meat,

Fiery fiesta.

Tearing across wakes,

Sun-kissed spray against my face,

Water skiing fun.

(AI assisted)

Machine mind so vast,

Crafting verse in seconds flat,

Haiku born of code.

Jane Gredvig

Academic’s Dating Profile

Turn-ons: people who

Understand the difference

‘Twixt their, there, and they’re.

Hobbies: I enjoy

Correcting signs with misplaced

Apostrophes—sheesh!

Turn-offs: unexplained

Acronyms, work jargon, and

Abbreviations.

Hill that I’ll die on:

Oxford (or series) comma

Should always be used

Work Life

Username. Password.

Authenticator. And the

Blood of your firstborn.

Checked: Keep me signed in.

So why do I need to log

In again this time?

Thank you again, everyone, for participating. It’s always a pleasure seeing what is going on with each of you through this art form.

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We’ve been going through literary terms, and one of you asked me about Shakespearean phrases that have become adages (or sayings that often embody a common observation). These aren’t all necessarily adages, but they are phrases and words that Shakespeare has been given credit for. In honor of Shakespeare’s (likely) birthday on April 23, I have some of his more famous phrases for you. If you’d like more information, check out this webpage with the gross name: No Sweat Shakespeare.

§ all that glitters isn’t gold

§ all the world’s a stage

§ barefaced

§ be all and end all

§ break the ice

§ breathe one’s last

§ brevity is the soul of wit

§ catch a cold

§ clothes make the man

§ disgraceful conduct

§ dog will have his day

§ eat out of house and home

§ elbow room

§ fair play

§ fancy-free

§ flaming youth

§ foregone conclusion

§ frailty, thy name is woman

§ give the devil his due

§ green eyed monster

§ heart of gold

§ hot-blooded

§ it smells to heaven

§ it’s Greek to me

§ lackluster

§ leapfrog

§ live long day

§ long-haired

§ method in his madness

§ mind’s eye

§ ministering angel

§ more sinned against than sinning

§ naked truth

§ neither a borrower nor a lender be

§ one fell swoop

§ outrageous fortune

§ pitched battle

§ primrose path

§ strange bedfellows

§ the course of true love never did run smooth

§ the lady doth protest too much

§ the milk of human kindness

§ to thine own self be true

§ too much of a good thing

§ towering passion

§ wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve

§ witching time of the night

The world is certainly more interesting with these words and phrases in it! (Next time, I’ll share more of your haiku submissions.)

Kara Church | Technical Editor, Advisory | Technical Publications

Pronouns: she/her | Call via Teams | jackhenry.com

Editor’s Corner Archives: https://episystechpubs.com/

About Editor’s Corner

Editor’s Corner keeps your communication skills sharp by providing information on grammar, punctuation, JH style, and all things English. As editors, we spend our days reading, researching, and revising other people’s writing. We love to spend a few extra minutes to share what we learn with you and keep it fun while we’re doing it.

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Good day to you!

I was watching a quiz show on TV the other evening, and I heard one of the celebrity guests tease another for incorrectly using the word choice rather than option. He had said something like “We don’t have any good choices,” when he should have said “We don’t have any good options.”

For many people, the two words are used interchangeably, but they’re not actually synonymous. Here’s the gist: out of the options we are given, we make a choice. Options are just possibilities, but choices are commitments.

Another way to look at it according to boringbug.com is this: “An option is a noun for a thing and a choice is a noun for your decision.”

This confusion is so widespread, however, that you may still be working this out, so I’ll provide some examples of correct usage:

• I don’t know what I want for dinner. What are my options?
• There are so many good options on the menu, it’s hard for me to make a choice.

• Marc was confused by all the options available to him at the used car lot.
• He eventually made the choice to buy an electric car.

• When deciding how to invest your money, you have many options.
• Your financial advisor can help you make choices about the best investments for you.

I hope that helps! You have the option to make today a wonderful day. I hope you make the right choice. Enjoy!

Donna Bradley Burcher |Technical Editor, Advisory | jack henry™

8985 Balboa Ave. | San Diego, CA 92123

Pronouns she/her/hers

Symitar Documentation Services

About Editor’s Corner

Editor’s Corner keeps your communication skills sharp by providing information on grammar, punctuation, JHA style, and all things English. As editors, we spend our days reading, researching, and revising other people’s writing. We love to spend a few extra minutes to share what we learn with you and keep it fun while we’re doing it.

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Good morning!

Today is the day I announce the random winners of the haiku contest: Ben Ritter and Diana Fisher! Congratulations to the two of you. A book of your choice will be on its way to you soon. [Haiku Baby is on its way to Ben.
😊]

Ben, along with his submission, sent me an article about haiku called, “NaHaiWriMo – Why ‘No 5-7-5’?” It may seem contradictory to the haiku that most of you have written, but here is a brief excerpt explaining the haiku that we do versus the original haikuers—the Japanese.

You may have thought that haiku was supposed to be 5-7-5, so what’s up with the logo for National Haiku Writing Month—NaHaiWriMo?

Is haiku 5-7-5 or not? Well, yes and no. In Japanese, yes, haiku is indeed traditionally 5-7-5. But 5-7-5 what? In English and other languages, haiku has mistakenly been taught as having 5-7-5 syllables, but that’s not really accurate. You probably aren’t in the mood for a linguistics lecture that explains all the reasons why, but Japanese haiku counts sounds, not strictly syllables (the linguistic term is mora—Japanese is a moraic language, not a syllabic one).

For example, the word “haiku” itself counts as two syllables in English (hi-ku), but three sounds in Japanese (ha-i-ku). This isn’t how “haiku” is said in Japanese, but it is how its sounds are counted. Similarly, consider “Tokyo.” How many syllables? Most Westerners, thinking that Japan’s capital city is pronounced as “toe-key-oh,” will say three syllables, but that’s incorrect. It’s actually pronounced as “toe-kyo.” So two syllables, right? Actually, no. Rather, it counts as “toe-oh-kyo-oh”—four syllables. Or rather, sounds.

Feel free to read more at the link above, but for now, that is brief explanation of Japanese haiku, and an introduction to Ben’s winning haiku, written the night before his wedding:

bridesmaid

on the third day

of a juice fast

Ben Ritter

And now for Diana Fisher’s haiku, more traditional English-speaking haiku.

Beach

Fun in the sun

Cool waves running through my toes

Shark is at my feet

Cat

Cat on my desktop

What I do will aggravate

Step on the keyboard

Springtime

Birds in the treetops

Buds on trees flowers grow up

Bunny rabbits jump

Fate

Fate is to create

But my mind is full of paste

Life is just too hard

School

Get ready for school

Books are heavy, my brain’s full

Let’s go to the pool

Fruit

Pears can be so sweet

watermelon is a treat

Sour is the lemon

Thank you all for submitting your haiku! I will share the other submissions with you in the following Editor’s Corners.

Note: There were some submissions that were PG-13 that I am not publishing because of their political or religious content. It’s usually safer to avoid those subjects at work since they can be divisive.

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My friend, and former manager, Shawn S. sent me a video the other day. It was about a recent request from Merriam-Webster for readers to send in their favorite non-English words that cannot be easily translated into English. These words may not have an equivalent word in English, but the feelings they illicit and the ideas they present are wonderful, so I think we should absolutely consider including them in the English dictionary! Let’s see what you think.

Here are some examples from the video:

• Waldeinsamkeit (German): the feeling of being alone in the woods
• culaccino (Italian): the mark left on a table by a cold drink
• iktsuarpok (Inuit): the feeling of anticipation that leads you to keep looking outside to see if anyone is coming
• cormorebi (Japanese): sunlight leaking through trees
• pochemuchka (Russian): a person who asks a lot of questions

Merriam-Webster also asked people who watched the video to send in their favorite word. Here are some of the words folks sent in (the definitions come from the submitters, so if you know the word, and the definition doesn’t seem quite right to you, don’t shoot the messenger!). I’ve also added a great Korean word along with the definition, which came from Shawn:

• soubhiyé (Arabic): the quiet time when you’re the only one awake in the house and can enjoy a cup of coffee before the day begins [dbb – I also saw this translated as “sharing a morning cup of coffee with a group of friends or neighbors.” I’m not sure which translation is most accurate, but they both sound lovely.]
• sobremesa (Spanish): the relaxing time around the table chatting with your loved ones—usually after finishing a meal [dbb – I love this time. I’ll be using this word.]
• tsundoku (Japanese): the act of acquiring books and letting them pile up without reading them [dbb – I understand acquiring a pile of books, but not reading them?!]
• gigil (Tagalog): the overwhelming feeling you get when you see something so cute that you want to eat it [dbb – We need this word, I’ve heard English speakers say, “Your baby is so cute I could just eat her up!”]
• paiting/hwaiting (Korean): an encouraging phrase that means “you’ve got this” or “you can do it” when someone is trying to accomplish something difficult [dbb: I understand that there is no letter f in the Korean language, but when pronounced, this word can often sound like “fighting,” so the English spelling of this one shows up differently in different references.]

I hope you have a wonderful Thursday!

Donna Bradley Burcher |Technical Editor, Advisory | jack henry™

8985 Balboa Ave. | San Diego, CA 92123

Pronouns she/her/hers

Symitar Documentation Services

About Editor’s Corner

Editor’s Corner keeps your communication skills sharp by providing information on grammar, punctuation, JHA style, and all things English. As editors, we spend our days reading, researching, and revising other people’s writing. We love to spend a few extra minutes to share what we learn with you and keep it fun while we’re doing it.

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Today is a break

From cold literary terms

For a reminder:

You have this week for

Penning your lovely haiku

And sending them in.

The next two aren’t mine,

But they always make me laugh

When I think of them.

Good Morning Haiku From the Cat*

In the morning light,

You sleep despite my meow.

I stand on your face.

Haiku for Bacon*

That’s too much bacon.

Please just bring me some kale chips.

Said no one ever.

*https://examples.yourdictionary.com/20-funny-haiku-poems-examples-for-all-ages.html

Kara Church | Technical Editor, Advisory | Technical Publications

Pronouns: she/her | Call via Teams | jackhenry.com

Editor’s Corner Archives: https://episystechpubs.com/

Dear readers,

Last year we had a fun contest where I asked you to send me your haiku poems, and you did me proud! Well, I was just reminded that April 17 is National Haiku Day! It’s spring, it’s a new year, and it seems like a great time to celebrate, so I’d like to run another contest. Between today and April 16, I would love it if you would send me your haiku. For every entry you send, I’ll put your name on the list, and by April 17, I’ll randomly select a winner. I will share your haiku with the group, as long as they are PG-13, safe for work, and your own. Last year we had a lot about pets, the office, working from home, nature, and even some about miniature candy bars. The world is your oyster!

Remember, a haiku is three lines following the 5-7-5 syllable rule. Here is a selection of last year’s entries to remind you.

Haiku by a Dog

Can I have a treat?

Wait—stranger at the door—

Back. About that treat…

B. Jones

Not Again…

Video meeting.

I share a great idea,

And I am on mute.

H. Blades

Haikus are too hard

Limericks are easier

No Nantucket, please

K. Slayton

Here is my attempt

To give this contest a whirl

These feel weird to write.

S. Walter

She called the poet

I implore your artsy side

This haiku is done

M. Griffin

Jump in, it’s not cold

Trust me, I have tested it!

Oh, wait it is cold.

T. Fluellen

Oh, and the prize! Well, I haven’t decided yet. I will probably pick two winners, and they will most likely receive books related to the fun side of English and words. I love mondegreens (misheard song lyrics), so I may just open my Amazon account and send you a couple of my favorite collections. We’ll see what happens.

Kara Church | Technical Editor, Advisory | Technical Publications

Pronouns: she/her | Call via Teams | jackhenry.com

Editing Requests

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Good day, friends!

Today’s literary term is one I’m sure you’ve heard of, since we talk about it often here in Editor’s Corner, and that is the idiom. Here’s how Merriam-Webster defines idiom:

: an expression in the usage of a language that is peculiar to itself either in having a meaning that cannot be derived from the conjoined meanings of its elements (such as up in the air for "undecided") or in its grammatically atypical use of words (such as give way)

Idioms aren’t just a phenomenon in English. They can be found in most languages, I would suspect. They are certainly one of the hardest things to learn when you are trying to pick up a foreign language, because even if you can translate the words themselves, they mean something different as an idiom. My cousin’s boys in Greece love to teach me new Greek idioms. They enjoy me trying to puzzle out the words to translate them, then they tell me what the idiomatic phrase actually means (and I can guarantee it is usually something naughty).

Whether you are a native speaker of English or it is a second language, here are some examples of common English idioms and their meanings.

Idiom	Meaning
A blessing in disguise	a good thing that seemed bad at first
A dime a dozen	Something common
Beat around the bush	Avoid saying what you mean, usually because it is uncomfortable
Better late than never	Better to arrive late than not to come at all
Bite the bullet	To get something over with because it is inevitable
Break a leg	Good luck
Call it a day	Stop working on something
Cutting corners	Doing something poorly in order to save time or money
Give someone the benefit of the doubt	Trust what someone says
Go back to the drawing board	Start over
Hang in there	Don’t give up
Hit the sack	Go to sleep
Let someone off the hook	To not hold someone responsible for something
No pain, no gain	You have to work for what you want
On the ball	Doing a good job
Pull someone’s leg	To joke with someone
Pull yourself together	Calm down
Speak of the devil	The person we were just talking about showed up!
That’s the last straw	My patience has run out
To get bent out of shape	To get upset
Under the weather	Sick
We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it	Let’s not talk about that problem right now
Wrap your head around something	Understand something complicated

For a selection of idioms in other languages (translated to English) you can check out a few here at FluentU. Donna has also recently graced us with two good collections of English idioms from around the world:

• English Idioms, Part 1
• English Idioms, Part 2

Enjoy your day!

Kara Church | Technical Editor, Advisory | Technical Publications

Pronouns: she/her | Call via Teams | jackhenry.com

Editor’s Corner Archives: https://episystechpubs.com/